2017 is set to be the year of the
two book fairs, the end of a tradition and the birth of new
publishing scenarios after the long-established Turin book fair
lost the confidence of Italian publishers last year.
'Tempo di Libri' (Time for Books) is the name of the
controversial new book fair that will take place at the Milan
Rho trade fair centre from April 19-23, 2017 under the direction
of Chiara Valerio, Pierdomenico Baccalario (programme for 0-18
year-olds), Nina Klein (digital publications) and Giovanni
Peresson (professional programme) with oversight from a
scientific committee coordinated by Renata Gorgani.
The Turin International Book Fair will instead take place as
per usual in the Lingotto area of the Piedmont regional capital
from May 18-22, this year under the direction of 2015 Strega
prizewinner Nicola Lagioia.
Lagioia, 43, and Valerio, 39, are friends and have confessed
to "speaking every evening and telling each other things,
perhaps without the management knowing".
Their appointment has been favourably received and for now
they represent the greatest guarantee of dialogue between the
two fairs after a year of tension and confrontation.
"Guys, don't talk about two fairs. Let's roll up our sleeves
and get busy, an idea is worth more than the 'Curva sud' and
'Curva nord' (the typical separate seating arrangement for
hard-core football fans in Italian stadiums)," said Lagioia.
The controversy erupted in summer 2016, after the Italian
publishers' association (AIE) announced that the time had come
for "publishers to take the stage" by proposing "a new model"
for the 30-year-old Salone del Libro in Turin.
The ensuing confrontation resulted in the creation by over 80
independent publishers of the association Friends of the Salone
del Libro and the decision of several publishing houses -
including 66thand2nd and e/o - to abandon AIE, amid concern
about the effect of the divisions on an already flagging
readership.
Adelphi has already said that it will be taking a 'sabbatical
year' this year and will not participate in either fair.
Einaudi will instead be present at both events, while
Longanesi has said that it will have a stand at the Milan fair
but not in Turin, where it is however open to presenting its
authors.
The Salone del Libro will certainly not be the same as in the
past.
Rather, it will relaunch itself as a showcase for Italian
cultural festivals, while Time for Books aims to be a fair that
will unfold over the course of the year, with related events
starting in Milan on January 12 with Turkish sociologist Pinar
Selek discussing the book 'The marvellous mandarin' by Turkish
writer and journalist Asli Erdogan and the problems of press
freedom in their country.
photo: Turin Book Fair chief Nicola Lagioia
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